Steve Bruce furious at international friendlies

Aug 11 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

STEVE Bruce has called for international friendly matches to be scrapped after admitting that he may have to rest some of his big hitters because they are away with their respective countries this week.

With the start of the Premier League season just days away, Bruce faces the prospect of a deserted training ground as almost half of his first choice XI are away on international duty.

With key men like Kenwyne Jones and Lorik Cana only likely to return to Wearside on Friday, Bruce is preparing a ‘Plan B’ if the travelling leaves them too tired to hit the ground running at Bolton.

The situation left the Sunderland boss exasperated with the footballing authorities who have managed to schedule an international break so close to the resumption of Premier League hostilities.

And Bruce used the “unprecedented” situation to call for an end to international friendlies, proposing that they should be replaced by training camps instead.

“We’re all going to have a gripe about that, aren’t we? Dear oh dear, I’ve never known anything like it before,” he said.

“I really don’t know why there are internationals. I’m baffled by it. It really is nonsense – total nonsense.

“For me international friendlies should be banned anyway – get them together, no worries and all the rest of it but why do they need games?

“Fabio Capello seems to treat England friendlies quite seriously, but it became a mockery when they were making nine substitutions and no one was getting anything out of it.

“The frustration is we’d love to work on it all next week after the game on Saturday. But half of them are away – what kind of preparation is that?

“But I suppose we’re all in the same boat. Usually it’s nicer to be at home following an international break – Cana and Jones will be coming back and then they’re looking at a coach drive again. That will be in my thoughts next week.”